Baseball cards have been a popular collectible for over a century now, dating back to the late 1800s when cards were included in packs of cigarettes and produced by tobacco companies as promotional items. Ever since, collectors have been on the hunt for rare and valuable cards to add to their collections. Some of the most sought after and valuable baseball cards are errors – cards that were accidentally printed or cut incorrectly during production. These errors make the cards one-of-a-kind anomalies that increase greatly in value. Here are some of the most famous and expensive error baseball cards ever produced.
1919 Eddie Plank Sporting News – Considered the king of all error cards, only one of these is known to exist. The error is that Plank’s photo is upside down on the card. How this oversight occurred is still a mystery, but it makes this card truly one-of-a-kind. In pristine condition, it has sold at auction for over $100,000, making it likely the most valuable error card. Finding an intact example of this rarity would be the holy grail for any collector.
1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner – The famed and elusive Wagner card is highly coveted among collectors even without errors. But a few errors have been discovered that take the card’s value to new heights. A miscut example where Wagner’s image is cut off sold for over $200,000. Another has “garage” written on the back, believed to be from the original owner, going for over $75,000. The possibilities are endless for what other undiscovered error Wagners may still exist.
1969 Topps Tom Seaver – Seaver is known as “Tom Terrific” but this card shows him as “Tom Harper” in error. Only a handful are known to exist with his name printed incorrectly. In pristine condition, it has sold for over $50,000, making it one of the most valuable post-war errors.
1972 Topps Johnny Bench – On his iconic rookie card, Bench is shown signing an autograph in the photo. But on a small number of errors, his signature is missing, making it a true one-of-a-kind anomaly. Just a few are reported to have been found.
1981 Donruss Rickey Henderson – On his rookie card, Henderson has a missing eyebrow in the photo due to an error in the printing process. It’s a super subtle difference but enough to make the card very rare. An example in mint condition sold at auction for over $25,000.
1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. – Considered the most famous modern error card, a small number of Griffey Jr. rookie cards were accidentally printed with a photo of Donruss star Tracy Jones on the front instead. Griffey collectors consider these the ultimate trophy. One sold for over $30,000.
1992 Leaf Ken Griffey Jr. – On his rookie card in the Leaf brand, a missing “Jr.” in Griffey’s name makes this an instantly recognizable error. Only a small number are reported. It sold for over $15,000 in high grade.
1993 Finest Refractor Derek Jeter – The prized Jeter rookie refractors that have “Derek Jeter” misspelled as “Dereke Jeter” are the stuff of legend among collectors. Only a small handful are believed to exist with this typo. One sold at auction for over $100,000.
1994 Collector’s Choice Alex Rodriguez – On his rookie card, A-Rod has a missing signature in the autograph box, making it an error. Just a tiny run were produced this way. One example in pristine condition sold for over $25,000.
1999 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia Mark McGwire – McGwire relic cards from this insert set are highly collectible for containing actual game-worn memorabilia. But one card was discovered that contained a piece of jersey not even belonging to McGwire, but rather Sammy Sosa. This one-of-a-kind error sold at auction for over $50,000.
There are countless other lesser-known error baseball cards that still hold significant value, especially when found in top condition. The scarcer the error, the more coveted it becomes among collectors. While most cards hold value primarily based on player, year, and condition – errors take the collecting hobby to a whole new level, as each one represents a true anomaly that may never be seen again. The top errors showcase just how even small printing mistakes can create cards worth tens of thousands of dollars or more for lucky finders and owners. The hunt continues for other surprises still waiting to be discovered in the back of old shoeboxes and collection binders.
